Dockery: Senate Ethics Rules Only a Start

Monday

Nov 26, 2012 at 12:36 AM

For at least three legislative sessions, former state Sen. Paula Dockery of Lakeland submitted bills setting guidelines for the ethical behavior of Florida legislators, only to see them die in committee or never be heard.

By BILL RUFTYLEDGER POLITICAL EDITOR

For at least three legislative sessions, former state Sen. Paula Dockery of Lakeland submitted bills setting guidelines for the ethical behavior of Florida legislators, only to see them die in committee or never be heard. Now, without a bill being filed, stronger ethics rules are being put in place in the Senate.In part, the failures of her bills were because of a long-standing feud between Dockery and then-Senate President Mike Haridopolos. An aide, explaining at the time why she didn't get a committee chairmanship under Haridopolos after her many years of chairing committees, said it was because he thought her disloyal to him, not signing a pledge card to support him as president. For her part, Dockery had questioned the ethics of some of Haridopolos' actions.It wasn't that legislators have no rules. For a number of years, both the House and Senate have had stringent restrictions against accepting gifts from lobbyists. But Dockery's proposals involved legislators voting on bills in which they might benefit from passage.Without waiting for a bill to be filed, the new president of the Senate, Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, introduced ethics rules for the upper body during the organizational session last week. They apply to the Senate only as a rule; for them to become state law would require a bill passed by both chambers and signed by the governor.In the rule, approved by the full Senate, is the declaration that a senator with a conflict of interest over any legislation that might give him or her personal gain must announce it before the vote and abstain from voting on that bill.Similar wording had been in Dockery's bills, but it is only a part of what should happen and doesn't fully cover legislators' conflict, she said."It is certainly a step in the right direction, but it falls short of what both chambers should have," she said.What is missing, and what she hopes will be in some Senate and House bills in the 2013 session, is not just a requirement of announcing a conflict of interest on a bill and not voting, but stopping the behind-the-scenes stuff as well."My bill also prevented a legislator from lobbying and participating in the discussion of a bill with which they had a conflict," she said."Really, it is the participation in the bill's creation that is the issue," she said. "If I can cut deals with someone to pass a bill I have a conflict in, I don't have to vote but can still get it passed.""I applaud his efforts, but I certainly hope that there will be a bill filed in the new session to cover the behind-the-scenes work and that can apply through state law to both chambers," she said.Gaetz also promised to reform some of the election laws that gave some voters problems during the Nov. 6 elections, especially in South Florida.

ROSS: NO ON SUSAN RICE FOR STATEU.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, was among 97 House members who co-signed a letter to President Obama in opposition to U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice being appointed secretary of state to replace Hillary Clinton, who is retiring from the post.Rice was heavily criticized for initially stating that the attack on the embassy at Benghazi, which killed the ambassador and three other Americans, was a spontaneous reaction to an anti-Muslim film, when it has now been proven by intelligence sources to have been a carefully planned terrorist attack.The letter said that she "either willfully or incompetently misled the American public."It also said that an appointment to secretary of state would damage her credibility and that of the United States."My issue is not with Susan Rice," Ross said of his reasons for signing the letter. "My issue is that no one should be appointed until we get to the bottom of this and learn what happened with the attack and after."Until then we should not be considering her or anyone else connected with the attack in Libya," he said.Ten of the 97 signers, including Florida Reps. Connie Mack and Allen West, are "lame ducks" who were not re-elected to Congress. Ross was re-elected without opposition at the end of qualifying back in the summer.A Washington Post article noted, "Those that signed the letter are among the most conservative House Republicans."

[ Ledger Political Editor Bill Rufty can be reached at bill.rufty@theledger.com or 863-802-7523. Read his blog at www.polkpolitics.blogs.theledger.com. His Twitter is @LedgerBill. ]